Behold, The New $445 18-Course Tasting Menu at Joël Robuchon

Last December when Joël Robuchon was in his eponymous restaurant at the MGM Grand, you could tell there was an excitement with the staff about the reincarnation of his tasting menu. Now the entire over-the-top menu is out and ready for diners to order at his only fine dining experience in the United States.

Robuchon first presented his newest menu at his latest restaurant in Bordeaux, France. The 18-course menu is what the Chef of the Century calls "one of the greatest menus I have ever created. There are many details involved in preparing each service along with an extremely high skill level required to execute this experience," Robuchon says in a press statement. "I am grateful to work with a talented, passionate team that puts their heart into making these masterpieces every night."

Executive chef Claude Le-Tohic and executive pastry chef Salvatore Martone are in charge of putting together this $445 menu, the second most expensive tasting menu in America.

One cool aspect of this modernized version of the tasting menu is that the dishes are presented in four "services," with each consisting of three small plates.

The first service features La Salade de Pomme de Terre, a carpaccio of foie gras and potatoes covered with black truffle shavings; Le Saumon with Scottish salmon confit coated with Osetra caviar and a wasabi cream; and Le Homard, Maine lobster in a thinly sliced turnip with sweet and sour dressing.

The second service includes Le Truffe, a black truffle tart with confit onions and smoked bacon; L’Œuf de caille miroir, a pan-fried egg with pearl rice and black truffle; and Les Cuisses de Grenouille, frog leg fritters with garlic purée and parsley coulis.

On the third service, find La Langoustine with a truffled langostine ravioli with simmered green cabbage; La Noix de Saint-Jacques with a seared diver sea scallop served with kumquat and caviar; and La Soupe Folichonne with a medley of aromatic herbs in an exotic broth.

The fourth service features L’Oursin, a sea urchin atop a purée of fennel and potato with citrus jus; Le Black Cod with caramelized black cod in a Malabar black pepper sauce with pak choy; and La Langouste, a spiny lobster grilled with a green curry jus and fresh coriander.

And that’s just an introduction. The main course features a carving station prepared at the table with Châteaubriand beef topped with foie gras and rolled in black truffles with a Porto sauce. Robuchon’s famous purée de pomme de terre (Robuchon’s famous mashed potatoes) comes with the dish.

Yes, this includes the bread trolley as well as the mignardises trolley with more than 40 types of petits fours and chocolates.

Go ahead and add wine pairings from Joël Robuchon Restaurant wine director William Moss as well.